Bullying is well known to have harmful effects on child development and mental health, so understanding the underlying factors involved in bullying behaviour is critical (World Health Organization, 2008). In the present study, mental health, parenting challenges, and children’s individual strengths were explored across different types of bullying involvement. In this cross- sectional study involving 91 children between the ages of four to 11 receiving services at a mental health agency, the results indicated significant differences on dependent variables across the four different bullying involvement groups: bully, victim, bully-victim, and non-involved. Children in the bully group were more likely to be experiencing externalizing behaviours and have fewer individual strengths whereas children in the victim group were more likely to be experiencing difficulties with internalizing behaviours and have fewer individual strengths. Children in the bully-victim group were more likely to be displaying externalizing behaviours, come from homes experiencing parenting difficulties, and have fewer individual strengths. In contrast, children who were non-involved in bullying were more likely to have greater individual strengths including stronger peer relations, greater self-expression, able to successfully adapt to change, and have stronger family units. The results of this study highlight the different behaviour patterns across the types of bullying involvement as well as shed light onto the needs and strengths of children accessing mental health services from a community agency.

Traditionally, organisations have focused efforts in developing their people towards improving so-called areas of deficiency, identifying the flaws of employees and putting intervention structures in place to rectify and redress these areas. Limited efforts have seen the accentuation of employees‟ strengths as a means of developing those employees‟ full potential, as prescribed in the Positive Psychology. In a balanced organisational development approach, both areas of strength and deficit should be developed in order to harness optimum human potential and growth. This balanced approach is critical, as it provides for full spectrum development of the individual and creates opportunity for the attainment of positive work-related outcomes, such as work engagement. The objective of this research study was to test a structural model of job resources in the form of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement; personal resources in the form of individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement; to relate the conceptualised job- and personal resources to established job- and personal resources in the nomological net and to investigate possible structural paths between job- and personal resources and work engagement. This study was conducted in order to gain more knowledge and a better understanding of the outcomes of following a balanced strengths use and deficit improvement approach (SDBA), both from an organisational (job resource) and individual (personal resource) perspective. Participants in the research were sport coaches from primary and secondary schools. The Mplus and SPSS programmes were utilised for purposes of statistical analysis. A cross-sectional research approach was used. An availability sample (N = 364) of teachers who act as sport coaches in Gauteng, North-West and Free State based schools was used. Competing measurement models were used to confirm factor structures for adapted versions of the Strengths use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ), as well as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). These measurement models confirmed a four-factor and one-factor model structure for the adapted versions of the SUDIQ and UWES respectively. After factor structures had been confirmed, reliability of the adapted measures was assessed by means of Cronbach alpha coefficient values. The relation of the conceptualised job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement to established job resources was assessed by incorporating the job resources of opportunities for learning and independence at work into the study. In the case of the conceptualised personal resources, individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement were related to self-efficacy and self-esteem. This was done in order to theoretically relate these variables in the nomological net of other job resources and personal resources. Subsequently, structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationship between the job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement, personal resources individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement. Through categorical estimation the research found individual strengths use to be the strongest predictor of work engagement, followed by individual deficit improvement and organisational strengths use. Organisational deficit improvement was proven as a statistically insignificant predictor of work engagement. After conclusions for the study were drawn, recommendations for the organisation, individual as well as for future research were made. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Traditionally, organisations have focused efforts in developing their people towards improving so-called areas of deficiency, identifying the flaws of employees and putting intervention structures in place to rectify and redress these areas. Limited efforts have seen the accentuation of employees‟ strengths as a means of developing those employees‟ full potential, as prescribed in the Positive Psychology. In a balanced organisational development approach, both areas of strength and deficit should be developed in order to harness optimum human potential and growth. This balanced approach is critical, as it provides for full spectrum development of the individual and creates opportunity for the attainment of positive work-related outcomes, such as work engagement. The objective of this research study was to test a structural model of job resources in the form of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement; personal resources in the form of individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement; to relate the conceptualised job- and personal resources to established job- and personal resources in the nomological net and to investigate possible structural paths between job- and personal resources and work engagement. This study was conducted in order to gain more knowledge and a better understanding of the outcomes of following a balanced strengths use and deficit improvement approach (SDBA), both from an organisational (job resource) and individual (personal resource) perspective. Participants in the research were sport coaches from primary and secondary schools. The Mplus and SPSS programmes were utilised for purposes of statistical analysis. A cross-sectional research approach was used. An availability sample (N = 364) of teachers who act as sport coaches in Gauteng, North-West and Free State based schools was used. Competing measurement models were used to confirm factor structures for adapted versions of the Strengths use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ), as well as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). These measurement models confirmed a four-factor and one-factor model structure for the adapted versions of the SUDIQ and UWES respectively. After factor structures had been confirmed, reliability of the adapted measures was assessed by means of Cronbach alpha coefficient values. The relation of the conceptualised job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement to established job resources was assessed by incorporating the job resources of opportunities for learning and independence at work into the study. In the case of the conceptualised personal resources, individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement were related to self-efficacy and self-esteem. This was done in order to theoretically relate these variables in the nomological net of other job resources and personal resources. Subsequently, structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationship between the job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement, personal resources individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement. Through categorical estimation the research found individual strengths use to be the strongest predictor of work engagement, followed by individual deficit improvement and organisational strengths use. Organisational deficit improvement was proven as a statistically insignificant predictor of work engagement. After conclusions for the study were drawn, recommendations for the organisation, individual as well as for future research were made. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The research has worked towards the general aim of generating a synthesis of burnout in the nursing profession, and also towards coming to a synthesis of burnout in nursing from the perspective of the salutogenic paradigm. Existing knowledge from the literature has been consolidated and integrated, and 'new knowledge' of the phenomenological experience of the causes and symptoms of burnout and how nurses stay healthy, were presented. Firstly was discovered that burnout, over time is caused by various factors that are individual and personal and therefore not easily discovered by other than the phenomenological method, where the life world of each individual is described. Secondly, the study ofthe strengths that nurses exhibit in order to manage the tension and stress in their lives and not to succumb to illness, proved to be a sound and descriptive paradigm with great utilisation possibilities. Three answers to the salutogenic question, namely sense of coherence, hardiness and learned resourcefulness were presented in great detail. Thirdly, it was stated that the individual nurses and the nursing practice in general be made aware of: (1) the existence of burnout, (2) the contributing factors to burnout, (3) the various manifestations ofburnout at work and in the organisation, and (4) the coping strategies available to counter this problem in a positive and salutogenic manner. The phenomenological results of this research revealed a number of issues that have implications for both the prevention and treatment of burnout in nurses. The results especially established how nurses can operationalise their inherent salutogenic qualities. Specific salutogenic coping strategies emerged via the respondents. The research took a broad view of personality in health research. It studied the psychological processes underlying the observed connections between psychological variables and health outcomes. In order to study the operationalisation of these processes, a phenomenological, person-based approach was followed. They study focussed on health phenomena and the individual nurse was retained as the unit of analysis. This approach represented a movement away from a fragmented science, infatuated with technology and linked to a singular epistemology, towards a focus on the process and dynamics of personal experience. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The research has worked towards the general aim of generating a synthesis of burnout in the nursing profession, and also towards coming to a synthesis of burnout in nursing from the perspective of the salutogenic paradigm. Existing knowledge from the literature has been consolidated and integrated, and 'new knowledge' of the phenomenological experience of the causes and symptoms of burnout and how nurses stay healthy, were presented. Firstly was discovered that burnout, over time is caused by various factors that are individual and personal and therefore not easily discovered by other than the phenomenological method, where the life world of each individual is described. Secondly, the study ofthe strengths that nurses exhibit in order to manage the tension and stress in their lives and not to succumb to illness, proved to be a sound and descriptive paradigm with great utilisation possibilities. Three answers to the salutogenic question, namely sense of coherence, hardiness and learned resourcefulness were presented in great detail. Thirdly, it was stated that the individual nurses and the nursing practice in general be made aware of: (1) the existence of burnout, (2) the contributing factors to burnout, (3) the various manifestations ofburnout at work and in the organisation, and (4) the coping strategies available to counter this problem in a positive and salutogenic manner. The phenomenological results of this research revealed a number of issues that have implications for both the prevention and treatment of burnout in nurses. The results especially established how nurses can operationalise their inherent salutogenic qualities. Specific salutogenic coping strategies emerged via the respondents. The research took a broad view of personality in health research. It studied the psychological processes underlying the observed connections between psychological variables and health outcomes. In order to study the operationalisation of these processes, a phenomenological, person-based approach was followed. They study focussed on health phenomena and the individual nurse was retained as the unit of analysis. This approach represented a movement away from a fragmented science, infatuated with technology and linked to a singular epistemology, towards a focus on the process and dynamics of personal experience. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)